The GTA Online Diamond Casino and Resort has opened its doors and players are enjoying all it has to offer – cars, missions, cosmetic stuff, and of course – the casino games themselves. With three card poker, roulette, blackjack, and slot machines included in the update, the Diamond resort appears to offer a pretty full casino experience – but not for all players, it seems. Players in over 50 countries are discovering that some of the update’s features are inaccessible to them – and it’s likely linked to local gambling laws.
Since its launch, some Redditors (via PCGamer) have begun compiling a list of countries with gambling bans affecting the casino’s availability – and it currently sits at over 50 entries. Some are perhaps unsurprising – like North Korea – while others have caveats that suggest availability could potentially be possible in the future if developer Rockstar applied for (and was granted) government licenses from those countries, such as Portugal and Malta.
The casino lets you use real money to purchase in-game currency, which you can then use to spend on its games. Though it’s not confirmed, the reason some players have found parts of the update inaccessible could be that Rockstar has limited the casino’s features in countries where they could contravene gambling laws.
User ThatFlameThough discovered the inaccessibility in their country when trying to buy some chips, but being met with a message saying “‘Your account does not have permission to complete this transaction.’”
They also said they “tried buying the High Roller penthouse but it was locked for no apparent reason”, adding that “after contacting support I received a quick reply that because of my region I cannot enjoy the gambling related content in the new DLC.”
It appears from comments under the list thread thread that some players have tried to circumvent these restrictions by using VPNs, but subReddit moderator MNREDR issued a warning about this, saying “Know your country’s laws. Using a VPN to get around the law may result in bans or consequences from Rockstar, or even legal consequences from your country if you are caught. Use at your own risk.”